Last week, the City Council voted to strip landmark status from the recently designated 1817 federal-style house at 135 Bowery. 135 Bowery is one of the oldest intact structures in this area, and reflective of the earliest phase of urban development in New York City.

This is unfortunately the second time this year that the City Council voted to strip landmark status from a designated New York City landmark. The house is located within City Councilmember Margaret Chin’s district. After initially expressing support for designation, Councilmember Chin eventually urged her colleagues on the Council to overturn the designation in favor of a plan by First American International Bank to build a new commercial office building on the site.